Tube cutter



Jan. 23, 1951 c. H; WOODCOCK 3 TUBE CUTTER 1 Filed May 23, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. fliiesi Charles" H M Emdcoek imam 9x BY M ,4

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Jan. 23, 1951 c. H. wooDcocK TUBE CUTTER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 25, 1945 em m ll I \NN n QQ H Q QM 3 III I IV. am v I ltmv I z I 11111 g an i 7 MM km E W MM INVENTOR. Charles H haddock BY M! g flilornes/ retested Jan; 23, 1951 TENT OFFICE 2,538,890 'rUBE CUTTER Charles H; Woodcock, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to The Atlantic Refining Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 23, 1945, Serial No. 595,391

Claims. (01. 30104) 1 This invention relates to improvements in devices designed to cut or sever tubes, pipes, or the like.

where heat exchangers are used, a problem has arisen in connection with the removal of a damaged or worn-out tube. Such exchangers are generally composed of a bundle of tubes "contained in a cylindrical casing, the open ends of the tubes being secured to the tube sheets-by Workers and will be accorded hard usage, such device must be of sturdy construction and adapted to be used by relatively unskilled labor. Therefore, one of the objects of the invention is to provide means for cutting tubes, such means:

being adapted for insertion into such tubes and readily operable externally thereof.

In oil refineries and--other industrial units A further object of the invention is to provide means for cutting tubes at a desired place there- Within in which "the cutter element is eccentric to the guide member and in which simple rotation, rather than a spiral movement involving longitudinal displacement, is used to bring such cutter element into operable contact with th walls of the tube tobecut.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for cutting tubes, such means being of relatively rugged construction and simple in oper- Figure 3 is a side elevation of the device of the present invention.

The device shown in the drawings comprises a cylindrical housing I bored eccentrically as at 2 to permit the insertion therein of cutter bar 3,

l'mmovably affixed to cutter bar 3 is a cutter 4. Housing is further bored eccentrically as at 5. A sleeve member 6, rotatably positioned in eccentric bore 5,. is recessed as at l to accommodate the tapered end 8 of cutter bar 3. Sleeve member 6 is provided with parallel spiral grooves 9 and Iii and transverse slot II, the purposes of which Will be described hereinafter.

A further eccentric bore I2 in housing I contains thrust bearing i3 which is removably held therein by slip ring M positioned in internal groove E5, or by other suitable means. Sleeve member 6 and thrust bearing l3 are held together by bolt E6 or by other suitable means. Housing l is further formed with a concentric bore ii and a plurality of longitudinal grooves t3, the purpose inafter.

A ball race carrier l9, having external flange 20 formed thereon, surrounds housing 1 and is adapted for longitudinal movement on such housing. Slidably mounted on ball race carrier I9 on opposite sides of external flange 20 are ball races 2| and 22. External flange 20 on bail race carrier H3 is provided with holes 23 and 24 to accommodate operating pins 25 and 26 respectively, such operating pins being adapted to extend through diametrically opposed slots 21 and 28 respectively formed in the wall of housing l and to operably engage parallel spiral grooves 9 and it in sleeve member 6. Ball hearing 29 positioned on housing I is removably held adjacent shoulder 3i] by slip ring 3| disposed in groove 32 in housing I or by other suitable means.

An inner casing 33 surrounds ball races 2| and 22 and ball race carrier l9 and is adapted for longitudinal movement therewith. An internal of which will be described here- 7 flange 34 is formed on inner casing 33. Slip ring 35 positioned in groove 36 formed internally of inner casing 33 is adapted to hold ball races 2i and 22 and ball race carrier l9 within inner casing 33, ballrace 22 being held in operative contact with, or abutting, internal flange 34 on inner casing 33. Mounted on inner casing 33 is an outer casing '3'! provided with spiral slots 38 and 39, the purpose of which will behereinafter described.

Cap member it] is adapted to receive bearing 29. which is held in contact therewith by slip rin g M positioned in internal groove 32 in the cap member. Out'r casing 3'3 and cap member 40 are connected threadably as at 43 or by other suitable means.

Mounted on outer casing 31 and adapted for limited rotation and longitudinal movement in relation thereto is a collar 44 having a plurality of holes Q and 46 radially formed therein. Bolts 4'? and GS, disposed in holes 45 and 46 respectively, extend through spiral slots 38 and 39 respectively in outer casing 31 and threadably engage inner casing 33 as at 49 and 5!! respectively.

Operating arms El and 52 are threada-bly aifixed to collar 45 at 53 and 54 respectively and are formed with circumferential grooves 55 and 58 respectively spaced from the outer ends thereof. Handles 5'5 and 58 are rotatably positioned on operating arms 5i and 52 and held thereon by the coaction of retaining pins 59 and 6B and circumferential grooves 55 and 5% respectively-.

The operation of the device is as follows-z A source of power, such as an electric motor or air driven motor (not shown) adapted to part the necessary rotating movement to the housing i is operably engaged with longitudinalgrooves 53 in concentric bore I! in housing E the motor being provided with a shaft carrying. splines corresponding to longitudinal grooves 18. The casing of the electric motor or air-driven: motor is secured to the flanged end of outer casing 31 thereby maintaining casing 31: stationary during the cutting operation.

Rotary motion is then applied by the driving motor operably engaged with lon itudinal grooves 38 in housing i. As a result of th application of such rotary motion, housing t containing sleeve member 6 and cutter bar 3 is rotated within ball races 21 and 22 and ball bearmember 25. p 1 ilousing l, ball race carrier [9,. sleeve member 6, and cutter bar 3 rotate as one, since operating pins 25 and 26, extending through slots and 28 transmit the rotary motion of housing i to ball race carrier i9 and sleeve member 6.

opposite end of housing i carrying cutter bar 3 is inserted into the tube to the depth at which it is desired to make the cut, ciltter l being in the retracted or inoperative position. In order to bring cutter 5 into the extended or operative position and thereby into contact with the tube wall, handles 5? and 58 and operating arms 5i and 52 are revoivedin a counterclockwise direction. By reason of the revolution or operating arms 5| and 52 collar 44 is rotated and advanced longitudinally with respect to outer casing 33, since bolts 27 and 18 carried by the How slots 38 and '39 respectively tLerew'ith, inner casing '33 is a-nced longitudinally within outer p; ts ii and E8 coacti'flg with spiral respectively in the outer casing. During this movement, inner casing "33 rotates in a counterclockwise direction on ball races 21 and and is advanced longitudinally with respect to housing 5. The longitudinal movement of inner casing 33 is transmitted through internal flange to ball race 22, fer-em it together with ball race carrier is and hail race 2| to slide longitudinally on housing i. v

As hall race carrier l9 advances ioh'gitudinauy on housing l, operati pins 25 and it, positioned in holes 23 and 24 respectively iii external flange 121; on carrier Iii transmit the motion to slave member 6 by reason of the engagement of such operating pins with spiral grooves 9 and 59 in the sleeve member. Due to the 'c'oaction of operating pins 25 and 2B and spiral grooves 9 and it} respectively, the longitudinal movement of ball race carrier I9 is translated into a clock- 4 wis rotation of sleeve member 6 rotatably positioned within housing I. Actuated by the clockwise rotation of sleeve member 6 in relation to housing I, cutter bar 3 rotates with the sleeve until cutter 4 comes into operable engagement with the wall of the tube.

By applying continuous counterclockwise force tohandles 5! and 58 and operating arms 5| and 52, cutter 4 will b maintained inoperative engagement with the tube wall at all times during the cutting process.

If it is desired for any reason to withdraw the cutter bar from the tube, handles 51 and 58 and operating arms 5! and 52 are turned in a clockwise direction thus reversing the operation described above and returning cutter 4 to the retracted. or inoperative position.

It will be noted that should cutter 4 become broken or worn out, or if it should b desirable to replace it for any other reason, cutter bar 3 can be removed from its, position by a slight force applied to the. end of the cutter bar through transverse slot H in sleeve member 6, after the device has been disassambled.

The example here given and the particular aesc-ription set forth are merely presentedin order to illustrate how the. invention may be applied. Other forms and variations coming within thescope oft-he appended claims will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

1. A device for cutting a. tube comprising", an eccentrically bored. housing having 161m ai slots formed therein, a. sleeve member positioned in the bore and having spiral guide means foli'hed thereon, cutter means affixed. to said sleeve mem her operating pin means engaging said sen-er guide means and extending through said 1011- gitudinal slots, means carrying said pin means and mounted for slidable movement along the housing, inner casing means surrounding said carrying means whereby the sleeve member iiiay be rotated relative 'to said housing to bring the cutter means into engagement with the tube by longitudinal movement of said I inner casing means, and bearing means positioned between said inner casing means and said carrying means; for permitting fr'e'e rotation of the latter means within said inner casing means.

'2. A device for cutting a tube comprising an eecentricall-y bored housing having longitudinal slots formed. therein, a sleeve member positioned in the bore and having spiral guide means formed thereon, cutter means afiixed to said sleeve meIn o'er, operating pin means engaging said spiral guide means and extending through said l'ongitu-' dinal slots, means carrying s'a'id pin mean and mounted for slid'able movement along the housing, inner casing means surrounding said carrying means, bearing means positioned between saidinner casing means andsaid carrying means for permitting free rotation of the latter means within said inner casing means, and means; for imparting longitudinal movement to said inner casing means whereby the sleeve member may be rotated relative tosaid housing to bring the cutter means into engagement with the tube.

3. A device for cutting a tube comprising an eccentrically bored housing having longitudinal sl'o'ts formed therein, a sleeve member positioned in the bore and having spiral guide means formed thereon, cutter 'me'a'n's afii'xed to said sleeve memher, operating pin means en aging said spiral g 'id'e means and extending through said longitu- (1 al slots, means carrying said pin means and mounted for slidable movement along the nous,

ing, inner casing means surrounding said carrying means, bearing means positioned between said inner casing means and said carrying means for permitting free rotation of the latter means within said inner casing means, outer casing means, collar means rotatably positioned thereon, and means for transmitting movement of said collar means to said inner casing means whereby the sleeve member may be rotated relative to said housing to bring the cutter means into engagement with the tube upon longitudinal movement of said inner casing means.

4. A device for cutting a tube comprising an eccentrically bored housing having longitudinal slots formed therein, a sleeve member positioned in the bore and having spiral guide means formed thereon, cutter means afiixed to said sleeve member, operating pin means engaging said spiral guide means and extending through said longitudinal slots, means carrying said pin means and mounted for slidable movement along the housing, inner casing means surrounding said carrying means, bearing means positioned between said inner casing means and said carrying means for permitting free rotation of the latter means b means and projecting through said parallel spiral slots in said outer casing means and engaging said inner casing means, and means for rotating said collar means whereby the sleeve member may be rotated relative to said housing to bring the cutter means into engagement with the tube.

5. A device for cutting a tube comprising an eccentrically bored housing having longitudinal slots formed therein, a sleeve member positioned in the bore and having spiral guide means formed thereon, cutter means affixed to said sleeve member, operating pin means engaging said spiral guide means and extending through said longitudinal slots, means carrying said pin means and mounted for slidable movement along the housing, inner casing means surrounding said carrying means, bearing means positioned between said inner casing means and said carrying means for permitting free rotation of the latter means within said inner casing means, outer casing means surrounding said inner casing means and having parallel spiral slots formed therein, collar means surrounding said outer casing means and adapted for limited rotation and longitudinal movement in relation thereto, openings extending radially through said collar means, bolt means positioned in said openings in said collar means and projecting through said parallel spiral slots in said outer casing means and engaging said inner casing means, and means for rotating said collar means whereby the sleeve member may be rotated relative to said housing to bring the cutter means into engagement with the tube, said spiral guide means comprising parallel spiral grooves.

CHARLES H. WOODCOCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 996,310 Casagrande June 27, 1911 1,499,429 Wiedeke July 1, 1924 

